My how quickly the years go, another Bastille Day come and gone.  But don’t worry it’s not too late to celebrate with this quick, flavorful green sauce and summer veg!

Traditionally “sauce verte” is a mayonnaise based sauce with various soft green herbs such as tarragon and parsley along with some lemon, and as good as that sounds, I think we can do better…

For my sauce verte:
Combine the following in a food processor:
1/2 onion
1-2 peeled cloves of garlic
1/3 cup packed fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup packed fresh flat leaf parsley
2 T drained capers
1 T Dijon mustard
Juice of 1/2 lemon
3 T extra-virgin olive oil
Pulse the processor while adding the olive oil until you reach a coarse puree consistency.  Taste for seasoning and feel free to add S&P as necessary. The sauce can be made ahead of time and refrigerated until you make your veg.

For the veggies… I picked up 3 zucchinis and about 1 1/2 lbs. white and green wax beans from the market.  Wash/cut/trim the vegetables.  The trimming of the beans may seem like a daunting task but don’t be deterred – it really doesn’t take too long…

Meanwhile, heat a bit of oil in a large pan with a lid.  Toss the veg in the pan coating them in oil, add a bit of salt and a touch of water, cover and let steam for a few minutes, until they are tender but still have a  bite.
Place the cooked veggies in a bowl, letting them cool, then mix in the sauce verte.  This can be served room temperature, cool, or warm, right off  the stove.  It was a lovely addition to our summers evening picnic…
And what an evening it’s been… wine, food, friends, and general joie de vivre…what more can you ask for?